Anyone can make jewelry, you don't have to go to school. For the cleverest designs, you just have to think outside the jewelry box!

December 22, 2010

What IS a Rose Montee?

Well....I'll try and explain:

A Rose Montee is a rhinestone that comes pre-mounted in a pronged metal mount with holes in an x-shape in the back of the mount. Depending on the type you get, they are rather flat, almost like a flatbacked stone in the mount.

The mounts are always sort of a matte-silver-tone metal. I WISH they made some in goldplate, but....so far in my quest for rose montees, I have never found any.

Here is what they look like, for the most part:

Can you see the little pass-through channels on the back of them? They work GREAT w 28 ga wire.

For the most part, rose montees are a staple of the dressmaking trade....fabulous beaded and bejewelled dresses! So they were made to sew on. I'm told if you want to go that route, you shouldn't use Nymo or a thread that is easily cut. Beading cable like Softflex would be a better choice.

Of course most of you are not interested in knowing because you want to sew with them. You've probably seen my Cagework Beadery video which you can access by clicking right here and saw me working with them. It was hard for Rob to get in close with our Flip camera to really get the backside to show up, so I think the picture I'm offering here will help clear up any mystery. ;-)

The old caged styles like Haskell, DeMario, Robert, even Hagler made free use of Rose Montees. So you will want to get some for your jewelry making stash!

We have some vintage ones along with new SWA that are just arriving (these will be brighter) and the rosey-purple color as well as sapphire blue.

What is in stock at this moment can be accessed at B'sue Boutiques by clicking here

Sometimes it is possible to cut up rhinestone chain and remove the pass-through metal cable, and render some rose montees that sit up a bit higher in the cup. Take care, though, because it doesn't always work and rhinestone chain is expensive. Just try nipping ONE off the end of a length and see if the pass through cable pops out....if it does you can use the hole to wire through. My tip for the day!

Comments

have you ever come across a non-crystal rose montee? i'm looking to substitute "rose montees" for a bead of stone or wood set into that montee x-channel mount. another question, i noticed some montees are flat and some are pointy like a rivoli. a pattern i'm using calls for "rose montees." should i be looking for the flat or the pointy? they are to be set into a strip of right angle weave.